


We Could Be Making Sparks

by failurebydesign



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Porn with Feelings, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-23 22:07:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4894159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/failurebydesign/pseuds/failurebydesign
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam and Sophia decide to take to a chat room to spice up their sex life. It's supposed to be a one time thing, but then they meet Louis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Could Be Making Sparks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [twoshipsdrifting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twoshipsdrifting/gifts).



> I'm lucky that I was given a prompt where I could pick any pairing I'd like. I've been playing around with the idea of Sophlilo for awhile now and here we are.

Three years pass by since Sophia agreed on a second date and to say that Liam is quite content with his sex life is an understatement. 

Sophia is gorgeous -- long brown hair and dark eyes that captivated him from the start. She's a perfect mix of coy, with lips so pouty, to unashamedly naughty that makes him want to get down on his knees and thank God nightly. And she's full of surprises. Just last week, she stormed into his office and slammed the door behind, only to reveal some new lingerie beneath her coat.

At first, Liam doesn't know how to handle her. She's shy around strangers and even Liam didn't learn much about her for the first few months of their relationship. The first time they had sex was decent, he thinks. He hardly remembers it now. The first time Sophia asked for it a little harder, harder still, was when the floodgates opened.

Liam is 100% without a doubt sure that his sex life is perfect. It's why, one night, over dinner, he's left shocked when Sophia asks him if he thinks they need to 'spice things up a bit.'

"Do you want me to wear the sexy knickers next time, is that it?" Liam raises an eyebrow which gets him an immediate eye roll. He's not taking this seriously enough -- he can tell by the way Sophia purses her lips.

"Don't you have any fantasies?" Sophia asks in a way that's shy, she even blushes a little, but her voice is soft, seductive and full of intent. This'll lead somewhere, Liam's well aware.

"Think we've done 'em all by now, to be honest," Liam shrugs, because for the most part, he's easy to please. There was that one the time in the park though, when Liam got his jeans pulled back up just before a group of runners passed by. That was a good one. 

Most of his fantasies are rather vanilla. The kinkiest involve voyeurism. He enjoys the thrill of public sex where the act is fast, animalistic and could so easily result in being caught with his pants down -- literally. But they've done that so many times that Sophia must be bored of it by now. 

"Hmm," Sophia hums and leans her head against his chest with a gentle smile. She's up to something, but he isn't quite sure what. That is, until she opens up her laptop and passes it to Liam. "This'll might be a good place for us to start?"

When he looks at the screen, Liam has to do a double take. The website is a chat service, one he's certain his mum had told him to never go to as a child. Back then, he didn't know what it was -- just that he'd better not disobey his parents.

The thing is, Liam's not so good with computers. There's multiple chat rooms and he doesn't know which to enter. Everything from light bondage talk to kinks he doesn't even want to think about exploring are listed on screen and he doesn't know which to choose. 

It's a great starting point. There's rooms to discuss the different things they're willing to try in the bedroom, support rooms for those who have different issues they'd like to discuss -- even some rooms that Liam is pretty sure are just used for a good wank session. Not that he needs that.

He scrolls through the list a few times, but doesn't really know what Sophia is hinting at. Does she want to get into a sub/dom relationship? She's already got him wrapped around her finger.

"Here, let me," Sophia says softly, leans forward and clicks on one named 'courting couples.'

"Soph!" Liam gasps as he reads through the incoming chat messages. There's couples, blunt in their looking for other couples who live in the area. A few seem interested in just adding one extra to the bedroom. It isn't just a room for couples to chat. It's a place to get off with them. It's something Liam had no idea Sophia was into.

"Don't act like you haven't thought about watching me with another woman," Sophia grins. Liam shakes his head, out of politeness, but God, she's right. She gives Liam the cutest wink, cracks her knuckles and begins to type.

_anyone in london looking for fun tonite? ;)_

Most people ignored the message and new ones popped up -- a guy from Dublin looking for some Skype partners, another couple from LA, and a pair of women who are interested in Sophia, if only they'd leave Liam at home.

"Guess we'll have to come up with some other plans for tonight," Liam says when it happens. A private chat window pops up and suddenly, they're thrown into conversation with somebody named 'rovers28.' 

Sophia looks pleased when she reads the message out loud. 

_in london, what are u looking for ?_

"What are we looking for?" Liam looks to Sophia for an answer.

"Big tits and a nice arse, if you have your say," Sophia grins and types her response.

_just a normal couple looking for company_

Liam can't help but laugh. Is this what 'normal' couples do? He watches as Sophia speaks with this stranger, who turns out to be only a few years older than they are. That's fine. He's not looking for commitment. But he's intrigued and wants to know more.

The stranger admits to being nervous and it's quite a relief for Liam, who isn't exactly keen on meeting people over the internet. He's watched far too many television shows where this doesn't end well. When he takes the computer, he types out:

_that's ok, it's our first time too. what's ur name???_

It says 'rovers28 is typing' for a good five minutes before the response comes through.

_louis x_

Louis. Liam reads the name over, a name that is unmistakably male, and just about chokes.

"Did you know he's a bloke?!" Liam gives Sophia an incredulous look. It's not something Liam's thought about before.

"Does it matter?" Sophia's fingers float over the keys, as if she's waiting for the go ahead.

"I, um," Liam pauses. He'd like to think the idea of another man touching his girlfriend would make him jealous, and it might, but under a controlled situation? His pants getting slightly tighter is a good indication that he's far more okay with this than he wants to admit. Worse comes to worse, he can say no. "Okay, yeah."

They settle on having Louis come by at around quarter to ten, which gives Liam enough time to shower and make sure their flat is presentable. Sophia slips into the shower with him, but both decide it's better to not get things started just yet -- it's the anticipation that really gets Liam excited.

Really, it's only the bedroom that matters, but once they've finished, Sophia cleans up the bathroom after giving Liam a cheeky smile followed by, "You never know."

**

When 10:00 hits and still no sign of Louis, Liam begins to feel anxious. He can tell that Sophia is growing impatient, bored even, when she takes to staring outside at the heavy rain that's beating against the window.

It isn't until ten after that the knock at their door finally comes. Liam just about jumps out of his seat. Neither know what they're going to find on the other side of the door and in retrospect, Liam knows they probably should have asked to see a picture at the very least.

Sophia reaches the door first and swings it open. There's a boy standing there who doesn't look much older than them, which is a great relief.

"Louis?" Liam furrows his brows and looks over the stranger. He's not what he was expecting, though Liam doesn't know what he was expecting.

"This place is impossible to find," Louis says rather quickly and slightly out of breath. His hair is damp and he looks less than impressed. "Started to fuckin' pour halfway here. Anyway, hi, 'm Louis." He shakes some of the water out of hair and then looks to Liam with a devilish smile. "You must be Liam."

Liam feels something in his chest tighten the exact moment Louis says his name and his eyes meet Louis', bright blue and staring back at him. He tries to play it off as anticipation, but there's no denying that Louis is attractive, with messy hair and eyes that haven't captivated him this way since the day he'd met Sophia.

"And you're Sophia?" Louis' attention has already turned away from Liam, to give Sophia a smile. But Liam, stuck in a daze, can't tear his eyes away. 

"Come in," Sophia says and reaches for Louis' arm to gently guide him inside. "Have some wine. Liam, can you get our guest some wine?"

"Wine, right," Liam nods and blinks himself back to reality. A slight blush creeps over his cheeks as he watches Louis walk in. He's not sure he's ever seen a male whose body seems to curve the way Louis' does. Liam ducks his head on his way to the kitchen, already thinking about what it would be like, face buried between Louis' thighs. But Louis' is supposed to be here for Sophia, or so that's what Liam is guessing. Since he's not attracted to blokes. Not that most blokes look like Louis.

He almost walks back out, but remembers why he was sent to the kitchen in the first place -- wine. Wine is good. He'll have enough to calm his nerves and hopes it'll keep him from thinking about kissing Louis.

He can hear Sophia's soft laugh when he's pouring the wine followed by a second laugh that tugs at his heart just as hard. It's stupid, he thinks, that someone he's never met can make him feel the way that only Sophia has up until now. He expects to feel jealous, having left his girlfriend with another man, but when he brings them their glasses, both are giving him equally fond smiles.

"Louis just told me he plays football," Sophia smiles when Liam hands her a glass of wine.

"Not pro football," Louis shrugs it off even though his eyes light up when he talks about it and it seems like something he's passionate about. "Not yet. Work in progress."

"Should have guessed," Liam says when he settles on the sofa between them and passes a glass to Louis. He'd be lying if he said he didn't notice Louis strong thighs in those tight jeans. Liam takes a long sip of wine and figures it best to change his train of thought -- fast. "Soph and I went as Posh and Becks to a Halloween party last year."

"I can see that," Louis grins and looks Liam up and down. "You two are hot as fuck."

"So are you," Liam blurts out and shit. He hadn't meant to say that. Sophia isn't bothered -- in fact she smiles and gives Liam a pat on the knee that he just knows is meant to be encouraging. That's when it hits him. This night isn't just meant for her.

"Yeah?" Louis eyes light up. He takes a sip of wine and smiles into the glass. "And what do you two do? Other than seduce blokes over the internet."

"I'm studying fashion," Sophia swirls her glass of wine. "I was lucky enough to get a part time job through uni. It's not ideal, but I'm learning a lot about the industry."

"Been working as a mechanic for the past few years," Liam shrugs. "But I do a bit of writing and production work on songs here and there in my spare time. I'd like to get my name out there, make something I'm proud of."

"And you both want to get off with me?" Louis looks shocked, though Liam's a bit puzzled as to why. It's not a date, though the wine may say otherwise.

They only have another two glasses of wine each, when Liam notices just how much they all really want this. Sophia stretches her legs across Liam's lap somewhere between the second and third glass and Louis, who's bolder than Liam expects, cuddles up to his side and idly traces a finger over his feather tattoo.

When Louis is closer, Liam can't help but notice more things about him that he'd be stupid not to find attractive. Louis is smaller than him and fits under his arm, similar to the way Sophia does. His long eyelashes are something he instantly notices when he's up close, but it's the slight stubble that Liam doesn't expect to turn him on.

Liam finds an arm around both Louis and Sophia by the time they've all finished their third glasses. He's nowhere near drunk, though he can tell Sophia is at the least tipsy by her pinker than usual cheeks. And she's handsy.

"Soph," Liam swallows hard when he feels the palm of her hand press into his crotch. Yeah, this is the endgame, but there hasn't been an opening where Liam feels comfortable enough to just up and ask when the threesome's going to begin.

Louis grins and catches on quickly, but Liam isn't sure it's the proper moment to just start feeling his girlfriend up in front of a random stranger.

"So," Liam says, through grit teeth. "I could get some more wine if you'd like. Maybe we could order a pizza?" He's stalling and doesn't know why. It isn't like he's been able to keep from touching Louis here and there as much as possible.

"Look, Liam, you're fit. Like, unbelievably fucking fit. And I like talking to you -- Sophia, you too, but for the love of God. You've been flirting with me all night and can I just kiss you already?"

Louis doesn't have to ask twice.

Liam surges forward and Louis presses his lips to Louis' in a surprisingly bruising kiss. His only response of a soft moan, distracted by the way Louis already has the front of his jeans unzipped. He's never thought about being with another guy before, but when Louis takes his dick from his pants and gives it a few strokes, his brain clouds and all he can picture is Louis' mouth on him.

"Suck my dick," Liam moans into Louis' shoulder, growing harder in his hand. He can't believe he's asking for this when Sophia is still half in his lap, but she doesn't seem phased. She simply kisses along his neck, her hands undoing the buttons of his shirt.

"Fuck," Louis mumbles against the opposite side of Liam's neck and then gives Sophia's arm a light brush of his finger, as if asking for permission.

Sophia nods and pulls off her top without any hesitation. She's down to just her underwear by the time Liam gets his shirt off -- the red set that he'd picked out one year for Valentine's day. Fitting, he thinks, when he looks down and Louis has a hand down the front of them.

She pulls Louis forward and gets a hand down the front of his jeans, which impresses Liam, based on how tight they are. He can see the flick of Louis' wrist, when it turns, and can tell the exact moment a finger or two sink into Sophia when her expression changes and she begins to moan. She's moves half into Liam's lap and rolls her hips down against Liam's thigh, shaking when Louis pulls his fingers out. 

Liam unclasps her bra and tosses it aside to focus on her perky breasts. He sucks a nipple into his mouth, teeth lightly grazing over the sensitive bud when Louis pushes his fingers back in.

Sophia comes, hard and sudden, her whole body tensing up and then letting go when she starts to shake, riding out the orgasm on Louis' two fingers.

It's so fucking hot that Liam's mind is going a mile a minute. He pushes his jeans off and manages to kick them away while he's got one hand wrapped tightly around his dick, pumping faster with each of Sophia's quieting moans.

"Whoa, easy," Louis reaches for one of Liam's arms and coaxes him until he slows down. "Can't come until you've got your dick in me."

Liam nearly comes anyway.

They decide, that for the purpose of logistics, that it's better they move to the bedroom. The short trek there takes longer than it should, Liam stopping to kiss Louis and strip him down to his underwear.

Sophia slots her lips against Liam's once they've reached the foot of the bed and only pulls back to whisper how hot this all is in his ear.

"Am I going to watch him fuck you?" Liam lifts Sophia and gently lays her out on the bed, watching as she slips out of her underwear. He can feel Louis' hands, small but warm, as they wrap around him from behind and push his own underwear off.

"Promised I could suck your dick first," Louis whispers in Liam's ear, pressed tight against his back. Liam can feel how hard he is and that, more importantly, he's just as naked.

Sophia sits up, leaning back on her arms and makes room on the bed. She grins at Liam and pats the spot on the wrinkled sheets next to her.

Liam hesitates. Part of him tells himself this is mad -- his girlfriend allowing him to touch and be touched by someone else. It's technically not cheating when she's there, encouraging it.

"Liam," Louis sighs, sounding impatient and catches Liam around the waist. Liam lifts his head, expecting a gentle touch or perhaps a kiss, but Louis doesn't seem to be interested in kissing anymore. He gives Liam a bit of a shove until the back of his legs bump the mattress and he falls onto his bum. 

Sophia fits her mouth over Liam's and kisses him until his back his flat against the mattress and Louis walks two fingers up his inner thigh. Both of them look at Liam -- Sophia licking her lips, hand pressed to his chest and Louis, settled between Liam's legs, rubbing circles on his thighs with the pads of his thumbs.

Louis grabs hold of the base of Liam's cock and licks a stripe down the underside, making him shiver. Liam threads his fingers through Louis' hair, and whimpers, turning his head and pressing his lips to Sophia's shoulder. Louis mouth is hot and slick, lips fitting tight around Liam's hard cock. He hums low in his throat that sends a jolt through Liam's body.

He gives a breathless 'oh,' and his hips jerk up when Louis swoops his hand over his thigh and then down to cup his balls. 

"You like that babe?" Sophia says before she slides her mouth down his neck and drags her tongue over the hollow of his neck. "Bet his mouth is amazing."

Liam just nods and his head rolls to the side, fingers tight in Louis hair. Quick swipes from Louis' tongue, pressed firm against his cock send his mind into a state of nothing but static, as he watches the way Louis moves, mouth wet and shiny while he lifts his head and then dips it, sucking Liam down.

"Fuck, that's, I'm so--" Liam gives Louis' hair a rough tug and can feel the vibration when Louis moans. He so close now, rolling his hips up as he chases his orgasm.

Louis stops, then lifts his head off of Liam's dick with a wet pop and licks along his bottom lip with a satisfied smile.

"Don't stop." Liam's eyes fly open and his fingers slip from Louis' hair, hand moving down to palm at himself. Louis grabs his wrist, tuts and doesn't let go until Liam's urgency to come lessens.

There's a shift in weight, Louis lets Liam's hand drop and he moves over to Sophia. "Mustn't forget you," Louis says as he positions himself between her thighs and trails his lips across her smooth stomach.

Liam's stomach tightens, but it isn't jealousy that fills him up, it's a sudden need to wank himself when Sophia moans, though he knows Louis won't allow it. He forces out a deep breath and focuses on the way Louis buries his face between Sophia's thighs. He can't see what's being done, but Sophia's back curves in an arch and it's pretty obvious.

Sophia reaches, blindly, and Liam grabs ahold of her hand. She squeezes tight and a loud moan fills the room, briefly masking the sounds of Louis' soft hums. Liam kisses the back of her hand, eyes locked on the way Louis moves his head, works his tongue down and brings Sophia close to the edge.

"Go on," Louis coaxes when he lifts his head and meets Liam's eyes. He licks his bottom lip and presses his thumb to Sophia's clit, rubbing small, rhythmic circles. Liam moves in, kisses Louis and tastes Sophia, sweet on his tongue. He bites at his lip, tugs it between his teeth and kisses, hard and desperate. 

Liam doesn't even see when Sophia comes, just hears her cry out until Louis' hand is back on his dick and everything else around him fades back to white noise.

"Mmm, wow," Louis says when they separate, his fingertips stroking Sophia's inner thigh ever so lightly. He turns to her, smiles and nods his head towards Liam. "Come on, love. Let's take care of your boy."

Then, it's Liam's turn to find Louis' hand tucked between his thighs. He strokes his dick in slow, lazy drags.

"Got any lube?" Louis runs his thumb over the tip of Liam's cock and smears the precome down as a temporary solution. Liam nods, but it's Sophia who digs through the night stand and tosses the small bottle down. 

Liam expects Louis to squirt some in his hand, which he does, and go in for an easier wank. But Louis, hand firm on Liam's cock, takes his hand, lube covered and slick finger and reaches behind himself. Louis' mouth drops open and a soft moan escapes him.

"Getting myself ready," Louis says, voice raw and shaky. He's fingering himself, slowly, and Liam needs to see.

"Here," Liam points to the mattress and moves around to make room for Louis. "I want to watch." 

"Fuck, okay," Louis nods and crawls forward, belly down and back end up on full display. Liam doesn't touch at first, just stares in awe at the way Louis' back curves and dips down to dimple right before his round arse.

Sophia giggles and gives Louis' bum a little smack that brings Liam back to reality. He looks at her, already a little surprised, but then she says, "I think you should fuck him," and he's really at a loss for words.

"Jesus, Soph, language," is all Liam says, though it's obvious he's not offended when he gives his painfully hard cock a few tugs. When he grabs the lube and adds some into the mix, Louis turns his head.

"Fingers first Liam, Jesus," he says with a low laugh. "Like this." Louis brings a hand back down between his legs and crooks it up at an angle that's awkward, but effective. He slips a finger past the hole and voice shaky, speaks. "Now you put one in."

He's never done this before -- his experienced is greatly limited to taking a finger or two when Sophia sucks his cock, but he's never thought of doing it to someone else. Liam knows how good it feels when Sophia finds the right spot, though, how it causes him to shoot almost immediately and be left breathless and shaky.

Liam watches the way Louis lets a finger sink into himself down to the knuckle, then out again for a few repetitions before he's brave enough to grab Louis' wrist, still him and then slip his own finger in alongside the smaller one. He curls his finger inside, even more so when Louis removes his and gives Liam free reign to add a second. Liam works his fingers in, turns his hand and searches for the spot that he knows is there. It's all feeling around by memory though, since he's never done it on anybody else. He knows he's hit the bundle of nerves when Louis tenses up and moans out loud.

Louis' back arches beneath Liam's touch and he drags his fingers out only to push them back in, rubbing against the prostate. He feels almost guilty, pushing Louis so close to the edge, like he'd done to him not long ago.

"Please," Louis chokes out, pushing his arse back against Liam's knuckles. He grinds himself down and forces Liam's fingers deeper.

Sophia is already ripping open a condom when Liam tears his eyes away. She rolls it over Liam's dick and then runs her fingers through Louis' hair. "Think you're ready?" She asks Louis, and leans in to capture his lips in a gentle kiss.

"Yes," Louis nods and lets his forehead hit the mattress.

Liam grips Louis' hips and adjusts them both so that he's lined up against his arse, cock pressing against the hole. Hand gripping the base, he eases himself in, engulfed in a tight, hot heat. He can feel Louis tense up momentarily and then relax down again, a moaning mess into the pillow. Liam stops when his hips are flush against Louis' bottom and his cock is buried deep his ass, looking half in awe by the display before him.

"Move," Louis gives a throaty growl and pushes back, hands gripping the sheets tight.

It's slow at first, but Liam rolls his hips forward and fucks into Louis with long, deep thrusts. With each snap of his hips, Louis clenches around him, tilts his arse up and forces Liam to pick up speed with the new angle.

"Fuck, harder!" Louis cries out and Liam complies, arm hooking around Louis' waist as he slams into him. Liam slides his hand down and reaches blindly for Louis' hard, leaking cock. He gives it a tug and then a light bulb goes off.

Liam pulls out -- it warrants a whine, but he flips over onto his back and pulls Louis with him. Louis grumbles until Liam grinds up against his arse and just like that, Louis guides his cock back inside. Liam wraps his arms around Louis' stomach and holds him down against his chest, Louis' back pressed firmly to him.

Sophia, eyes dark, moves in and drags her tongue over the tip of Louis' dick, licking away the precome that blurts out while Liam bucks his hips upwards. Louis' head falls back, mouth open and bounces on Liam's cock, his own dick sliding in and out of Sophia's wet, open mouth.

Liam isn't sure when Louis' plan to take care of him switches gears. Sophia sucks Louis down, head bobbing fast and something gets tight and hot, starting low in the pit of Liam's stomach.

"Gonna come," Louis says, following a little shout and rather than lift her head, Sophia lowers down, taking Louis' cock deep. She cups his balls and it makes him grind down on Liam's dick, thighs shaking when his body goes rigid. Sophia backs off and it's then, paired with the low whimpers, that Liam knows he's come.

Louis slumps back against Liam's chest, breath heavy and Liam knows he's feeling the aftershocks when each of his thrusts warrants a whimper.

Liam snaps his hips up a few more times before everything goes fuzzy. His movements turn erratic and something in his stomach tugs as he chases his orgasm. Sophia kisses him, all tongue, and there's a faint taste of what he knows is Louis. And like that, he's sent over the edge.

When they're cleaned up and curled together in a pile on the bed, Liam closes his eyes and thinks he could get used to this.

**

There's no alarms or chirping of birds when Liam opens his eyes. It's still dark and Sophia is in her usual spot, nestled under Liam's arm. What he doesn't expect, and almost forgets about, is the warm body that's presses up against his back. He runs a finger over the arm that's wrapped around his waist and feels the flutter of hot breath against his neck. 

"You awake?" Liam asks, near inaudible, as if he's testing to see if Louis' change in breathing is just a coincidence.

"Yeah," he answers back and gives Liam's middle a bit of a squeeze.

He wants to cup his face, brush his thumb over his cheeks and kiss him until their breath runs ragged. He wants Louis to curl his fingers in his, tangle their legs together beneath the sheets and remain like that until they're forced to move. But this, as Liam knows it, was just a game Sophia's cooked up for the night. It's likely to end here.

"Didn't think you'd still be here, mate," Liam laughs at the bit of nervous energy that's balled up in the pit of his stomach. He's never kicked anyone out of bed before and doesn't think he has the heart to do it now. He doesn't think he wants to, period.

"Surprise, innit?" Louis cocks his head and leans in for a kiss. A bit of panic runs through Liam's mind, he turns his face quickly and Louis' nose bumps his cheek. Louis laughs, like it's some sort of game, reaches out and cups Liam's face. "Hey, no," he grins, hand pressed firmly to Liam's cheek. "Look at me." 

"I thought this was a one time thing," Liam blurts out before he's able to stop himself. It's not that he doesn't like Louis, he does, possibly way too much. And that's where the problem lies.

"But you liked it," Louis doesn't so much question as he does state the obvious. If Liam didn't like it, he'd have put an immediate halt to things. Louis frowns when Liam doesn't answer, though he doesn't think he needs to.

"What?" Liam laughs. He doesn't mean to, but it's a nervous response that seems to set Louis off in a way he's not expecting. Louis flings the sheet off of his body and reaches around the dark room for his clothing. Half of it is still laying in a trail out the door. Liam quickly follows after him, not sure what he's said wrong. 

"Don't worry, I'm leaving," Louis mumbles, shoves his way past Liam and grabs his jumper off of the arm of the sofa. "Hope you enjoyed the your one time thing." Before Liam can stop him, he's gone.

When Liam crawls back into bed, Sophia yawns and drapes an arm around him. "Louis left, huh," is all she says and Liam can only nod.

Two weeks without a word from Louis drag by, not that Liam is texting him, either. It's late in the evening when Sophia gets out of class and demands Liam stop being so mopey. She wraps her arms around him and it's nice, he thinks, when he rests his head on her chest. As his eyes close and she strokes his hair, all he can think about is Louis.

"Just talk to him already," Sophia murmurs when she presses a kiss to the top of his head.

"What?" He opens his eyes,

"I've known you long enough to know when something is going on up there," she sighs and gives him a little squeeze that's meant to comfort. "There's nothing wrong with the way you're feeling."

"I love you so much," Liam starts to say, which is so, so true.

"But you're quite fond of him, I know."

Liam sits up and scrubs his hands through his hair. He doesn't know what any of this means, just that he's never been more confused in his life. Sophia is everything he's ever wanted in a woman -- strong, confident, sexy and loving. But Louis is everything he's never known he needed.

"How do you feel about him?" Liam takes her hand and holds it tight against his chest. His heart is banging around up there, making it hard to breathe and wonders if she can feel it.

"I'm willing to give it a shot." Sophia smiles and lets her voice drop. "Besides, he's cute and pretty good at making sure we're both exhausted by the time we've finished."

"I'm not--" Liam begins, but doesn't know how to finish his thought. He wants to say 'gay,' but can't bring himself to use that word. Not when he thinks he may be, at least a little bit.

"You don't need to put a label on it," Sophia says, as if she already knows. "I can't complain. Not when you still love me." And he does.

"Think I should call him?" Liam looks into Sophia's eyes for a clear answer, knowing she won't lie. He'd be able to tell.

"I know so."

It takes two and a half hours for Liam to muster up the courage to call Louis. The phone rings six times and Liam is ready to hang up when a familiar voice chimes out over the line.

"Hello?"

"Can you come over?" Liam cuts to the chase. If they're going to talk, then he prefers they do it in person.

"I'm a little busy, Liam," Louis replies, sounding annoyed. There's a rustling in the background and a few short, low barks of a dog that's followed by a man's voice Liam's never heard before. 

"Who's that?" The voice asks.

"No one, nothing," Louis can be heard, quite a distance away now. "Look, I'm not interested," he says when his voice floats back over the line and hangs up before Liam can reply.

It takes all Liam has not to call back. He slumps down onto the sofa and it's near impossible not to mentally beat himself up when Louis hadn't even given him time to explain himself. 

"How did it go?" Sophia asks when she walks into the room and finds Liam with his head in his hands.

"He said he's not interested," Liam shrugs and doesn't bother looking up. There's no point in hiding his disappointment. "But it was fun for awhile, yeah?"

"Oh," Sophia frowns and settles down in Liam's lap, arms draped around his shoulders. "It's his loss, then."

"Yeah," is all Liam says. He doesn't want to admit how much this hurts.

Liam tries his best to move on and it almost works. He takes Sophia out on dates, they find other ways to continue to spice things up and Sophia is careful not to mention Louis -- not even once. They both end up tipsy on wine, due in part to Liam accidentally burning the chicken he left in the oven a little too long. Without a full meal, they feast on the corn and potatoes Sophia had prepared as side dishes. Neither mean to actually get drunk, but almost a full bottle later and Liam goes quiet.

"What are you thinking?" Sophia runs her fingertip along the outer rim of her glass, most of the wine already gone.

"I think Louis had someone over, you know, when I called," Liam shrugs. He doesn't want to assume, but it's all he's pictured since then and nothing makes sense anymore. Louis' not allowed to be upset when he's moved on so quickly -- not that there was anything to move on from.

Liam doesn't know when fell for Louis, just that the feeling is undeniable. Sophia knows it, too, by the way she cups Liam's face and kisses his forehead. Her eyes are sad, understanding and Liam wonders if just maybe she's fallen, too.

**

Friday rolls around and Liam decides to try his hand once more at dinner. Sophia's still in class when he runs out to pick up some fresh produce for a big salad. He fills his trolley with leafy lettuce and moves on to pick a cucumber when he hears the laugh he knows he hasn't forgotten.

He catches a glimpse of Louis at the opposite end of the aisle and his heart stops. Liam thinks, that maybe someone is with him, but they run ahead and leave Louis behind. His chest gets tight and his heart starts to pound when he realizes it's now or never.

"Louis!" Liam pushes back the sick feeling, abandons his trolley in the aisle and jogs after him. The worst Louis can do is refuse to speak to him and Liam's already lived through that.

Louis stops, just long enough to look behind himself. His face, that's initially blank, seems to change the instant he sees Liam. He gives a bitter laugh and pushes his own trolley around the corner with what looks like no indication of stopping for Liam.

"What do you want, Liam?" Louis asks, with venom behind his words. He won't look at him, either. "We had fun. Can't we leave it at that?"

"Yeah, okay, sorry I bothered you," Liam sighs and his chest tightens. It hurts, but he knows he's not alone. Sophia will wrap her arms around him, kiss his face and do her best to make him forget, even if Liam doesn't think he ever will.

"Found ya!" A blonde lad with an Irish accent grabs hold of the front of Louis' trolley. It's a voice Liam's heard once before -- when he called and Louis brushed him off. He bites his lip, eyes fond and all on Louis. There's no hiding that there's something between them.

Liam takes a step back. It's embarrassing how fast Louis backs away from the blonde, even after he crowds in on his space and gives him a peck on the cheek.

"Niall, Jesus," Louis responds and pushes the blonde, Niall, back a few steps. He just laughs and shakes his head at Louis. "What's gotten into you?"

"Sorry, I'll be out of your way," Liam blurts out, which he knows is completely stupid when he could have so easily slipped away or pretended not to know Louis. Now he needs to come up with some sort of excuse, which isn't easy when Louis shoots him a look of disgust.

"Oh, sorry, didn't know you were talkin', 'm Niall," he gives Liam a smile and holds out his hand that Liam has no choice but to shake.

"I'm Liam," he responds and avoids looking at Louis. "Anyway, I've gotta get going. But um, yeah." He looks around, they're in the pasta aisle, and grabs a jar of canned tomatoes. He doesn't need them, but it's easier than admitting he'd chased Louis down there. "These are the ones." 

Louis seems to eye the can and a look of confusion crosses his face. "Tomatoes, Liam?"

Then it's Niall's turn to look lost. He seems to notice Liam for the first time, eyes him up and down, but smiles. It's completely awkward and exactly the thing Liam's been trying to avoid. He focuses on Louis, rather than Niall, and is sure he's just as red as the tomatoes in the can he's holding.

"How do you know Louis?" Niall grins and he's too friendly looking to let down. Liam imagines he's a bit like a hurt puppy when he's sad and he definitely doesn't want to be witness to that.

"Oh," Liam clears his throat. He's not sure what to say that's appropriate when really, they've done no more than shagged a bit. "I don't," is all he can bring himself to say. Liam sighs, has to go back to find his trolley and doesn't look back once.

Cooking dinner is a nice distraction. Liam makes a big salad, full of vegetables that he knows Sophia is going to love. For dinner itself, he boils pasta and thinks that jarred sauce is a cop out until he remembers the tomatoes and comes up with a rich, red sauce. By the time Sophia drops her purse on the counter, the kitchen smells wonderful -- a nice change from the other night's burnt chicken.

"Wow, look at you, Mr. Domestic," Sophia says with a smile. She leans over the counter to take a peek at the salad and somehow, her smile grows. "Someone's feeling better."

"I ran into Louis today." Liam gives the big pot of sauce a stir and lifts the spoon up to offer Sophia a taste. "With his boyfriend."

She slurps a small bit of sauce from the spoon, careful not to splash any on herself. Sophia licks her lips with a 'mm,' but her expression changes when Liam drops the news. "Boyfriend?" She laughs in a way that doesn't sit well with Liam -- harsh and bitter. "I'd have never invited him over if I knew."

"Yeah, well," Liam turns off the oven burner and shrugs. "Deleted his number, so you know, time to move on." He focuses his attention on setting the table, which doesn't wipe the image of Niall's hands on Louis out of his mind. Chances are nothing will for awhile. But they're given closure and it's a start.

**

Winter is the worst it's been in years. Sophia's classes are cancelled and Liam's car is so buried beneath the heavy, wet snow that he calls off of work. It's freezing outside, but everything is okay when he has Sophia and two mugs of hot cocoa in front of the electric fireplace. Christmas is only a few weeks away and the room seems to glow between the fire and lit up tree.

"Think my boss is gonna be mad?" Liam asks when he leans forward and warms his hands in the fire. The television is on in the background, but it's low enough that neither are paying much attention. Until Sophia shakes her head and points to the news on the screen.

"Everything's closed, guess it's your lucky day." She dips her finger into the whipped cream that tops her cocoa and smears a bit on Liam's nose with a laugh. He's just about ready to retaliate when the doorbell rings.

"Who is mad enough to be out in this weather?" Liam wipes the whipped cream off of his face and sighs when he's forced to move from his warm spot beneath Sophia and the big blanket his mum had given them last Christmas.

"Can I come in?" Louis' voice is low and rough sounding. Fat snowflakes are stuck to his eyelashes and the little wisps of hair that peek out from beneath his beanie. His nose and cheeks are pink and Liam can see his teeth chatter slightly. He pulls his arms in close to his body, making him looking small and vulnerable in his oversized jumper. His eyes are tired and his face scruffier than Liam remembers.

Sophia rests her hand at the small of Liam's back in a protective gesture that makes him feel safe and wanted -- something he's embarrassed to admit he thrives off of.

"What are you doing here?" Liam furrows his brows and pictures himself slamming the door in Louis' face. He's moved on, so he thinks, and yet he can't bring himself to do it. It's cold and the idiot hadn't even thought to put on a coat.

"Sophia called me." Louis gives her a small, barely there smile. "Told me you're miserable," he says, voice softer than usual. "Dunno how, she's pretty amazing."

"Yeah, " Liam has to admit, because he's right about one thing -- Sophia is amazing. She's honest, funny and most importantly, faithful. And she called Louis.

"Talk to him?" Sophia pleads and then, even before Liam can say no, lets Louis inside. "Come on, sit by the fire and I'll make you something warm to drink."

Louis leaves his boots at the door and shakes the snow from his head when he tugs his beanie off. Liam sighs and leads the way, not that Louis hasn't been there once already. 

"Here, sit," Liam points to the spot he'd been sitting at not long ago and Louis nods, doing as he's told. Louis still shivers and pulls the heavy blanket around himself in a makeshift cocoon. Again, Liam repeats, "But really, what are you doing here?"

"Obviously to sit in front of the fireplace of the lad who regrets having met me," Louis says with a roll of his eyes. 

"Regret you?" Liam gapes. All this time, he'd wondered how someone like Louis would want to be around him more than in part of some one night stand. Sophia, yes -- she's perfect and who wouldn't want to be around her. "I thought... isn't that the purpose of that website?"

"Liam," he smacks his forehead and Liam doesn't know what he's done wrong this time, just that he's more than likely going to hear it. "Sometimes, yeah, but we hadn't really discussed it, did we?"

"Okay, fair point," he says, because really, they hadn't, but it still doesn't account for some of the things Liam's still confused about. "But I've never been with a lad before you. And then I started to realize how great you are."

"Why do you think that?" Louis interrupts, wrinkles his nose and Liam knows it's not an insult -- the feeling of questioning his self-worth is all too familiar.

Liam shakes his head. There's no way to explain it in a way that makes sense when he can hardly process his feelings in his own mind. Louis looks less than impressed by his lack of a response, but there's nothing he can say that'll change things. He doesn't know what Louis' situation is with Niall, just that there's something there he shouldn't meddle in.

"Doesn't matter, does it?" Liam looks over when Sophia walks in, carrying three large mugs of hot cocoa. "You've got a boyfriend. Didn't think to tell us about that, did you?"

Sophia sets the tray on the table and sits on the opposite side of Liam and keeps quiet. She's not looking at Louis and stares down at her mug as the whipped cream begins to slowly melt.

"Niall? He broke up with me that night you saw us, I'll have you know," Louis laughs, almost bitterly. He picks up his own mug, but doesn't drink from it, just warms his hands, and Liam feels a thousand times worse.

"Serves you right." 

"Well that's just rude," Louis scoffs and shakes his head. "Only started dating him the week you called me. Couldn't even let me have that, could you?"

"Wait, what?" Liam blinks. All of this time, he's assumed Louis was unfaithful, playing with someone else's emotions, when all along, Liam's the culprit. If he'd just been honest from the start.

"He asked me out a week after I met you, Liam." Louis sets his mug back down, leaving it untouched. "I thought I'd give it a go. Then I ran into you."

"Oh God, I'm sorry," Liam apologizes quickly. "Stupid tomatoes."

"What?" Louis blinks and screws up his face. "Tomatoes?" 

"The tomatoes, I shouldn't have-- I should have just left things as they were. Ruined that for you." Liam looks down and feels Sophia's hand on his arm. Chances are she thinks he's talking nonsense.

"Oh, yeah, well no, he asked me how I knew you," Louis finally lowers the blankets from around himself and turns to face Liam. "Could tell I fancied the pants off of you."

Liam's face goes warm and he does the first thing he can think of, which is take a long sip of cocoa. All it does is warm his insides even more. Sophia giggles into her own mug and Liam knows why -- she's learned how he looks when he's easily flustered.

"So what does this mean?" Liam forces himself to look at Louis and instantly finds he's lost in his eyes all over again. It makes him feel vulnerable and something he's not quite sure about. "Liking a lad is new to me, you know."

"I know," Louis laughs and reaches for Liam's free hand. "I could tell."

Liam looks down at their hands and then to Sophia who moves their mugs onto the table. She hooks an arm around Liam's waist and presses a kiss to his cheek. She gives Louis another smile and it's then that Liam finally realizes what this whole thing is about. Sophia really did do this for him. 

"Now what?" Liam squeezes Sophia to his side and looks back to Louis, the boy who leaves him feeling unsure about so much except for one thing -- that they need him.

"Kiss him!" Sophia says with a giggle.

And Liam does.


End file.
